Bubble domes, Enniskillen
Finn Lough’s bubble domes are the closest things the UK has to igloos, but have transparent walls so guests can stargaze from bed. The two-person domes are in 50 acres of woodland, but it’s not all back to nature: the beds are modern four-posters, and there are coffee machines, posh toiletries, vintage record players and en suite bathrooms. Other accommodation includes lodges and cottages, and there are activities such as fishing, biking and kayaking. The restaurant serves warming winter dishes – perhaps venison with forest mushrooms.
• £195 a night B&B, finnlough.com
Nordic katas, Perthshire
Comrie Croft, near Crieff, has six Nordic katas (similar to tipis) in birch woodland, where campers can spot deer and owls. There is a woodburner in each kata, and plenty of sheepskins, so they are snug even in the depths of winter – people have stayed in them when overnight temperatures have dropped as low as -15C. Campfire pits and hammocks add to the cosiness, while the bed is a communal area insulated with covered sheepswool, so it’s best for couples or close friends. Hot showers and toilets are a two-minute walk away.
• £99 a night, from £299 for five nights, sleeps six, comriecroft.com
Swedish cabin, Worcester
Lilla Stugan, a sweet red-and-blue cabin on Millham Farm near Worcester, was inspired by the owners’ Swedish summerhouse. It has a library of Moomin books and a loo decorated with old Abba album covers. Warmth comes from the logburner inside and the firepit outside, which has a dutch oven for cooking sausages or heating up the campfire casserole provided in the hamper. There is a gas-powered shower and compost toilet. The cabin sits at the bottom of a 100-year-old orchard, which leads into a nature reserve.
• From £80 a night, sleeps two, canopyandstars.co.uk
Herder’s hut, Gloucestershire
Arctic Quest, just outside Tewkesbury, runs sled dog adventures: visitors learn to control a team of huskies and speed around the trails. After an afternoon’s mushing, there is a traditional Sami tipi or reindeer herder’s hut to stay in. Both have woodburners and campfires, plenty of furs and blankets, British Army Arctic sleeping bags (stays warm to -30C!), down-filled socks and thermal hoods. Guests can cook over the campfire or hire a fondue set. The tipi and hut are in their own field but are part of Croft Farm campsite, so campers can use the cafe/bar, gym and sauna (although the main site is closed from 22 December to 1 March).
• £99 a night for two, £170 a night for up to five, arcticquest.co.uk
Alachigh, ger and lavvu, Carmarthen
Larkhill Tipis and Yurts is a glampsite on a 20-acre smallholding in west Wales. The accommodation is a little out of the ordinary, comprising an alachigh (Iranian nomad tent), a Mongolian ger, a Sami lavvu, a Kazakh yurt and a Native American tipi. Each has a central woodburner – the owners have stayed in the ger when it was -10C. Each plot is separated by trees and shrubs, and has a campfire. There are two hot showers, a compost loo and a flushing toilet.
• From £70 a night/£160 a weekend/ £500 a week , sleeps four (the alachigh sleeps six, larkhilltipisandyurts.co.uk
Norwegian log cabins, Inverness-shire
Eagle Brae’s seven luxury cabins (sleeping two or six) in the Highlands have a mixture of influences: wood from Canada, Norwegian building techniques, Himalayan carvings and Scottish motifs. They are all open plan, with a log-burner downstairs, bedrooms on a mezzanine and proper bathrooms. Winter activities include husky rides, red deer stalking and black grouse safaris.
• Cabin for two £1,094 a week, short breaks from £547, cabin for six £677.50 for two nights, eaglebrae.co.uk
Icelandic-style turf houses, Isle of Harris
Turf houses were common in Iceland until well into the 20th century, as turf is a great insulator. These two turf-roofed cottages on the Isle of Harris are built on similar principles, and have peat-burning stoves, their own Jacuzzi and sauna, and plenty of Harris tweed blankets. It is a 10-minute walk to the nearest beach and restaurant, warming drams are available at the new Harris Distillery, and the northern lights may even dance across the sky.
• From £745 for four nights, £1,000 for a week, sleeps two, stay-hebrides.com
Cave house, Worcestershire
Cave houses stay warm in winter (and cool in summer) thanks to the insulation of the surrounding earth. The stylish Rockhouse Retreat near Kidderminster has the added benefit of a wood fire, firepit and rain shower. The dwelling was originally carved 700 years ago with pickaxes out of a sandstone escarpment, and is in three acres of private woodland. The pretty town of Bewdley on the river Severn is nearby, as is the Wyre forest.
• From £145 a night, sleeps two therockhouseretreat.co.uk
Toasty tipi, Warwickshire
These look like normal tipis on the outside, but inside they have underfloor heating, carpet and a kitchenette. Next door is a private gazebo with a log-fired hot tub, barbecue area and firepit, and a private toilet (the shower is shared). The tipi is on the same site as Tinywood Homes, with its cute wooden holiday homes and pods. There are views over the Warwickshire countryside, and it is a short walk down a disused railway line to the village of Long Itchington, which has six pubs. Leamington Spa is six miles away.
• From £100 a night, sleep two, toastytipis.com
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